AL Central

The Chicago White Sox General Manager has some tough choices in the coming months.

The White Sox, who currently have a payroll of over $105 million, have nine free agents and four arbitration eligible players on whom decisions will have to be made. Some will return to the fold in 2011, while others will be wished the best and sent off to seek different Major League employment (or start exploring that life after baseball thing).

Life is full of tough choices; let's start making some.

Selected in the first round of the 2007 draft by the Minnesota Twins, outfielder Ben Revere got his first taste of the Major Leagues in 2010 and could be in line to make an impact in 2011. 

The 22-year-old has shown tremendous speed since making his professional debut, and that could certainly make him an important cog in the Twins lineup.

Before we get into what he can bring to the table in 2011, let’s look at the numbers he posted at Double-A in 2010:

Dear Dayton,

I have been a Royals fan for nearly my entire life of 22 years. I have heard many stories of how the Royals used to be a dominant AL team, and how George Brett just took over the game of baseball with his amazing ability to hit.

However, this has not been the case since I have been on the earth. We have had one winning season (2003) since I was born, and most fans, like myself, even agreed that that year's team was a fluke.

There have been many important days in Twins history. Oct. 25th, 1987 (first World Series victory), Oct. 27th, 1991 (second World Series), and June 5th, 2001 (drafting of Joe Mauer) spring to mind for many fans. But the absolute most important date had nothing to do with winning a world series or drafting a future hall of fame catcher. The day in question is July 3rd, 2000.

When it comes to likability, Mark Buehrle is at the top of the list.

From his sliding on the tarp during rain delays to the way errors never seem to bother him, Mark Buehrle is an easy guy to root for.

However, as we start to examine the 2011 White Sox and how they can be improved this offseason, the fan-friendly southpaw starts to stand out as a potential weakness in the rotation.

Name the infield for the 2005 Chicago White Sox.

You have that jerk at catcher A.J. Pierzynski, who everyone knows. Paul Konerko, of course, Juan Uribe before his backside developed its own zip code, and Joe Crede.

Who was that one guy at second base? Why can't I remember his name? He was Asian, wasn't he?

Tadahito Iguchi.

Prior to 2010 many people thought Billy Butler could take the next step in his development.  People hoped that the power, which was the one true drawback, would finally come around.  He had hit 21 home runs in 2009, with 51 doubles, so there was reason to be optimistic.

Unfortunately, he fell flat, regressing in both numbers:

Phineas Taylor Barnum was a born showman. He was placed on this Earth to sell tickets, fill houses and count receipts. He was the Columbus of show business—P.T. discovered acts and freaks—sometimes they were one and the same.

Barnum had a wonderfully simple explanation of how he was able to become a millionaire with traveling shows that featured lizard boys, bearded women and the “Feejee” mermaid (a creature with the head of a monkey and the tail of a fish).

How did ole P.T. do it?

Late last week the Tigers re-signed third baseman Brandon Inge to a two-year, $11.5 million contract (with an option for 2013).  He showed significant power in 2009, but the numbers just weren’t there last season:

Cross another would-be free agent off the list.